The Power of Friendship
by Kristen3
Summary: During a blackout, Niles goes over to Frasier's with the intention of comforting Daphne, but he ends up receiving as much comfort as he gives. One-shot.


Niles enjoyed the peace and quiet of his mansion. Outside, a rainstorm poured. But that didn't bother him a bit. He'd lived all his life in Seattle, so rain was nothing unusual. Maris, however, claimed that the storm had given her a headache, and so she'd taken a large sleeping pill and gone to bed. Even the solitude was preferable to his wife's incessant nagging about every little thing he'd done wrong.

With a sigh, he pondered what to do with his free time. For once, he was caught up on his paperwork and patient files. He might have gone to visit Frasier, or even his father. But Frasier was out of town delivering a speech, and his father was spending the weekend with some of his cop buddies. Having nothing better to do, Niles turned on the TV. He happened upon a local news broadcast. A weatherman stood in front of a map of Washington State. "Rain is expected to continue into tomorrow. High winds are also likely. At present, no flooding has occurred, but many homes are without power. A large majority of the Elliot Bay area is currently experiencing a power failure. Electrical workers say that they hope to restore power sometime tomorrow afternoon."

Niles' heart stopped. Frasier's building was located near Elliot Bay. Daphne was there all alone in the dark. He remembered her casually mentioning that she'd hated thunderstorms as a child. Her brothers had teased her relentlessly as she hid under her bed every time lightning flashed. _She must be so frightened_, Niles thought. He knew from experience that he would probably not see or hear from his wife until tomorrow morning, or possibly even the afternoon. He gathered all the candles and flashlights he could find, then quickly raced out to the car.

His heart pounded as he drove through the darkened streets of Seattle. Sure enough, Elliot Bay Towers had not a single light on inside. He parked and walked into the building. With a sigh, he realized that the elevators would not be working, meaning he would have to climb nineteen flights of stairs. Though the climb was difficult, he persevered simply by remembering Daphne's anecdotes about her fears of thunderstorms. They made him even more determined to get to her as quickly as possible.

He gasped for breath when he finally reached the door to apartment 1901. He used his key to open the door. When he did, he saw Daphne seated on the couch, her face illuminated by a single flickering candle. "Dr. Crane! What are you doing here?"

Niles entered the room, making his way to her as quickly as he could. "I heard on the news that the storm had knocked out the power to Elliot Bay. I remembered you saying storms scared you when you were little, so I had to come."

In the darkness, Daphne reached for his hands and squeezed them. "I'm glad you did. I wish your father and brother hadn't gone out tonight. I have to admit I was a bit nervous being here in the dark."

No sooner had Niles heard her words than he took her in his arms, doing his best to comfort her. "Oh, Daphne," he whispered. "It's all right, I'm here." She grabbed onto him tightly. Niles rubbed her back and spoke soft, soothing words in an effort to calm her. He continued to hold her. Before he could even stop himself, he placed a gentle kiss in her hair. She looked up in surprise. Niles couldn't breathe when he found himself looking directly into her eyes. He was hypnotized, and his next move took even him by surprise. He leaned forward until their lips touched. The shock of her lips on his brought him back to his senses. "I'm sorry," he whispered, hanging his head in shame.

Daphne's mind reeled. She'd never felt so safe as she did in his arms. His kiss had taken been so unexpected, but wonderful all the same. "Dr. Crane." She lifted his chin up, making sure he was listening. "I know you're feeling bad, but you've done nothing wrong. You're married to Mrs. Crane. I know that. But what happened just now was only a small kiss. Just your way of letting me know you care about me. I'm very glad you do, because I care about you, too. You've been having troubles with Mrs. Crane again, haven't you?"

Niles nodded, wondering how she could've known that. But, then, when _weren't_ he and Maris fighting? Daphne didn't need to have psychic powers to figure that out! No matter how angry Maris made him, it still was no excuse for his behavior. Sure, Daphne still had no idea how he really felt, but he knew, and his heart ached at the thought. Though the kiss had been more wonderful than he'd imagined, it was also wrong. "I shouldn't have kissed you, Daphne. I'm married."

Daphne smiled. "It was just a little kiss. We're friends, aren't we?" She did not wait for a response before answering her own question. "Of course we are. Otherwise you wouldn't have come here in the first place. So, it's only logical that you'd care about me. And kissing someone is just a way to let them know how you feel. Just because we kissed for a fraction of a second doesn't mean you're in love with me!" she laughed at the very idea.

Niles' heart stopped at her words. "Um...no, it...wouldn't have to mean that."

Daphne smiled. "Now that that's settled, what would you like to do?"

Niles' mind raced as he imagined several things they could do in the dark. Not one of them was appropriate, given the circumstances, but he couldn't help himself. He shrugged nervously. "We could watch some...oh, right."

Daphne laughed. "I know, I've been wanting to watch television, too. But we could always read. I could get one of me romance novels from me room. We could take turns reading it out loud."

Niles had little experience with romance novels. He knew Maris owned several, but they were all in her bedroom, and only servants were usually allowed in there. Still, he knew that scenes in those books were often risqué. Hardly the sort of thing he wanted to read when Daphne was seated right next to him. But he could think of no alternative. "All right," he whispered, swallowing hard.

Daphne grinned. "Good. I'll just get a few of me favorites, and be right back." She picked up one of the flashlights he'd brought over and set off toward her room. Niles' heart pounded as he watched her leave. He'd come over here with nothing but good intentions, wanting to make sure she was safe. But now, sitting next to her in the dark, it took everything he had to resist the urge to kiss Daphne. Only this time, it would not be a soft, gentle peck. No, it would be a much longer, more passionate kiss. The kind he'd only seen in movies.

"All right, I took these off me bookshelf," Daphne said when she returned. She set three books down on the coffee table. Niles glanced at the top one, and was shocked when he saw a half-naked couple locked in a desperate embrace. Daphne picked up the book and opened it. "I can see you're a bit nervous, so why don't I start?" Niles nodded, hardly knowing how else to respond. Daphne took a deep breath, preparing to read the first line. But before she got even a single word out, the lights suddenly came back on. "Well, that was unexpected," Daphne said with a laugh.

Niles felt a wave of relief. "Yes. Um, I think perhaps I'd better leave." He got up from the couch.

"Oh. All right," Daphne said, not hiding her disappointment. "I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable."

"N-no," Niles stammered. "But I should be home in case Maris wakes up. She'll wonder where I am." His nose did not bleed, despite the fact that there was virtually no chance his wife would stir before morning.

"I see," Daphne replied. "It was awfully sweet of you to come down here." She immediately got up from the couch, coming over to embrace him. "You're such a wonderful friend. And don't you worry about Mrs. Crane. Me powers are telling me that things aren't as bad as you think."

Niles sighed as Daphne held him. At the moment, nothing could possibly be wrong. "Thank you, Daphne. You're a good friend, too." Reluctantly, he pulled of the hug. Niles left the apartment, preparing to head home to his cold, lonely mansion. But, instead of feeling depressed, Niles found himself feeling a new sense of hope. His marriage might not be going well, but it didn't matter. For Niles now knew he had something he had never really had before: a true friend. It was a kind of wealth not even all of Maris' money could ever buy.

**The End**


End file.
